Improvement in operating ordnance



3 Sheets Sheet 1,. -J` B. EADS.

Operating Ordnance. No. 41,611. Patented Feb. 16, 1864;

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. B. EADS. prating Ordnance.

Patented Feb. 16, '1864.

In venin? /nu N-PETERS. PMOTO-UTHGGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C.

I 3 Sheeis-'f-Sheet 3A J. B. EADS. Operating Ordnance. NoA 41,611. f Patented Feb. 16, "1864.

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JAMEs B. EADS, on

FFICIEO ATENT' ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN OPERATING ORDNANCE.

Speciticaon forming part of Letters Pat erence being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this speci'icatiomin which- Figure l represents a sideview of a gun and the mechanism for operating it. Fig. 2 repsents a top plan, and Fig. 3 represents a vertical section of the same. Fig. 4 represents a table for turning the gun horizontally upon, and a device for locking it in proper position.

Similar letters of reference, where they o'ccur in the several figures, denote like parts in all the drawings.

My invention consists, first, in certain mechanism for elevating and lowering and running a gun into or out of a port on vessels of war, or working them in a casemate on land or permanent fortifications, said mechanism being operated by steam, water, or air as a first moving power; and my invention consists, secondly, in making the pivot, upon or around which the base `or platform moves that carries and sustains the gun, and mechanism for operating it, hollow, for the purpose of admitting or of admitting and discharging the steam, air, or water used for operating the gun.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, will proceed to describe the same with reference to the draw'- ings. l

The base or platform A, upon which the gun and mechanism that operates it are placed, is pivoted at .its forward end by a hollow bolt or pivot, B, and close up to the side of the vessel or caseinate C. The after portion of this base or platform may have friction-wheels in it, that may run upon circular ways upon the deck or gun floor D, lso that the breech'of the gun maybe readily'moved to the right or left, and turning upon the hollowr bolt or pivot B as a center.

Upon the base or platform A is placed a steam, hydraulic, air, or other gas-cylinder, E, of which F is the piston-rod, the piston of this rod being moved in the cylinder by means of ent No. @Lllh dated February 16, 1:64.

steam, water, air, or gas introduced through the hollow bolt or pivot B through suitable pipes, chests, valves, ports, Sie., of any of the well-known kinds.

,On the piston-rod F there is; a cross-head, G, on each end of which there is a cogged rack, H, said racks moving in suitable ways or guides, to prevent cramping.

I are pillow-blocks (one Vonly being seen in i the section) secured to the base A, to which are pivoted the segmental gears J andi the attached as-to movetogether. The upper ends of the cranksK are pivoted to slides L, that move'- longitudinally upon the4 gun-frame M; and they have, moreover, wrist-pins N in them about midway between their two ends, which the levers P, which arepivoted at Q on the forward partA of thebase A, The levers P one end of the connecting rod or bar S is' attached, the other end thereof being attachedA to the gun-frame at 'l by a suitable wristpin, from which pin alever, U, extends backward vand downward, and is pivoted atv its lower end to the pillow-block Iat the point V. By this system of levers the gun and its frame are elevated or depressed at their rear, while the point of the gun or muzzle will vary but little from a fixed position in the port, and the outside of the port may thus be but a trifle greater, in diameter than the outside diameter of the muzzle of the gun; or, inother words, the muzzle of the gun may ll the port without leaving any space between through which the smallest projectile could possibly pass. When the cross-head G is moved from the cylinder E, the racks H turn the segments .I and operate the cranks K, and through the levers and their several connections, asabove described, the breech of the gun is elevated, as shown in Fig. 3; and when the cross-head is moved toward the cylinder the'breech of the gunand the several parts operating it come down into the position shown in Fig. l in black lines, the red lines in said gure representing the gun and some of its parts as elevated.

In grooves W inthe side pieces of the gunframe a block, X, upon which the gun Y is arranged, is moved by means of steam, air,water, or gas working in a cylinder, Z,

cranks K, said segments and cranks being soV wrist-pins work in slots O in the free ends of havealso wrist-pins B upon them', to which.

attached to the the gun frame or slides, and thus the gun,rest 'ing on the block or carriage, may be moved freely and readily on the gun frame or slides' to or from the port-or easement, as maybedesired. There are also air chambersor cylmders b, connected with the'block X, in which work piston-rods c, attached to the gun-frame'. These air-cylinders and pistons are designed to take the recoil of the gun, and thus relieve the frame from sudden jars.

Upon the block or carriage X is pivoted strongly, as at d, a table, e, upon which, in suitable bearings, f, the gun is hung by its trunnions g. This table e can turn upon its pivotlpin d, for the purpose of easily loading it when drawn in from the port, and when loaded it can be again turned in the direction of the port,to be' run out and iired. Aspringlatch, 7i, catching intothe notch 11 in the turn-v ing table e, holds the gun in proper position to be run into and out of the port, while the notches jk would catch land hold itat right angles to that line, or nearly so. The latch h,

by means of the handle Z, may be easily drawn out of its catches,while its spring m will throw it into the first one that comes opposite to it.

I have not described nor shown the levers, valves, chests, Ste., for operating the pistons inthe cylinders E Z. These, being Well known and common, may be applied by any mechanic.

In this arrangement the'gun does not vibrate l parallel with the gunslides.

, I have it in contemplation to so modify this general planas to raise the gun-slides inalevel manner, instead of raising the breech ends faster than the other ends, in which case the gun will vibrate on its trunnions,and the muzzle will be retained at a iixed point by suitable devices while the slides or gun-frame is moved up or down horizontally.

Having thus fully described my invention,

Vwhat I claim therein is- 1. The raising or lowering of the gun slides or frame on which the carriage movesina line, 'so as to keep the axis of the gun in aline parallel therewith, and in such manner that the breech and trunnions of the gun are movedup or down, while the muzzle of 'the gun is kept at nearly a iixed point, for the purpose of giving the necessary Vertical range or aim of the gun, and thus obviating the use of a port-hole larger than"the muzzle of the gun, substantially as described.

2. The pivotingof the platform A, that carries the gun or guns, and the mechanism for operating it or them, on a hollow pin or pivot, for the purpose of admitting, or of admitting and discharging,the steam, air, Water, or other element for operating the mechanism that raises or lowers or moves the gun'to or from' the port, substantially as described.

' JAS. B. EADS.

Vitnesses:

A. B. STOUGHTON, EDM. F. BROWN. 

